Man, this really bites!

Now that the weather is finally warming up in much of the country, we’re going to be seeing a lot more bugs again. Some of us will occasionally be barefoot outside, but of course, some of those bugs will also make their way into our homes, where some of us are barefoot more often.

A particularly troublesome bug is the spider, and feet aren’t the only body parts they attack. There are only a handful of deadly spiders in the U.S., but one of them is the Black Widow, which has been spotted in 49 states. (Alaska still appears to be safe.) But other spiders can produce a very itchy bite that seems to take forever to go away and sometimes leaves a permanent mark.

Nobody wants to run to the doctor every time an insect or arachnid stings or bites, but because spider bites can be serious, it’s a good idea to learn how to identify those bites and what kind of treatment is best. In addition to itching and pain, some spider bites can cause skin damage, infection, muscle aches, cramping throughout the body, and chest and abdominal pain. Some people have died from spider bites.

I’d like to hear about your spider bite experiences. How did you know it was a spider that bit you? How did you treat it? What if anything have you done since then to try to avoid spider bites? Do you know of anyone who has experienced serious consequences from being bit by a spider? Hope to hear from you about this.

I moved last May and had some items in a storage shed that had spiders. I must have brought one of them with because one morning I woke up and my foot was swollen and painful. I ended up in the hospital for a week. They had to give me a lot of IV antibiotics. At one point they were talking about surgery. I had to take pain pills also. It was so painful I could not stand and put any pressure on my foot. It was not a brown recluse spider. I don’t know what kind it was, but we did occasionally see these big ugly things on our ceiling in the house. They tried giving me an antibiotic pill to take at home but the foot just kept getting worse. Only the IV antibiotics worked and those were administered twice a day.

I got bit by a brown recluse on my left thigh. I went to the hospital, was given a B12 shot and a tetanus shot and given a business card for a plastic surgeon. I went back to work and a women told me that putting a tea bag wet with saliva on the spider bite would draw out the poison. I tried it and it worked. Loads of green pus came out. I thank God for the woman who who told me about this. She may have saved my leg. I only have a small scar.

Lots of good information here. I don’t know about the spider bites but one thing that really helped me when I was stung by a wasp last summer I put a couple of drops of new skin Liquid Bandage on it and it stopped the pain almost instantly and within two days there was no sign of anything on my arm. You can find a small bottle of New-skin at WalMart. Work great on any small cut or scraps. It does sting at first for a few seconds but then everything is fine. Frank the only time I was ever bitten by a spider it was because I was young and dumb, I put my finger right up to his or her fangs and I got bitten. It was one of those small black spiders with the bright green eyes you see crawling across the ceiling sometimes. Lesson learned at a very young age keep your hands to yourself.

My neighbor’s grandson in Florida asked me to take him to CVS to get additional medication for a brown recluse spider bite. He had been bitten, but ignored it thinking it was from an old injury. Finally EMT had to transport him to the hospital. I took him to get the meds. Unfortunately he pulled off the bandage and showed me his arm. There was a deep, deep hole where the doctor had cut to get rid of the damaged tissue. It was gross. I left FL and they moved, so I don’t know the rest. But here, in KY, a nephew was bitten by a brown recluse in the back of his neck. By the time he got medical treatment, doctors said he could have been paralyzed or dead. This is a serious bite!!!

Thank you so much for this blog. My right thigh near the knee started itching and stinging about 6 weeks ago, but had no redness or swelling, or bump or raised area. Then it felt slightly numb, but that stopped after a day. Then it began to hurt, but only at night as soon as I got in bed. I wondered if it were a spider bite, but w/no bump or raised skin. It still itches and hurts, and I do see a pin prick-looking mark. I’ve been worried about this, so think I will go and get medical help. Don’t have a doctor right now, but do have great supplement to my Medicare… I prefer natural treatments, but since they take longer, I don’t think I should wait. Again, thank you for highlighting this issue… I will write back and share the results.

My ex-wife was bitten by a brown recluse when we were living in Fayetteville, Arkansas and when I took her to the doctor he gave her a shot right in the bite with Prednesone (a very strong steroid) and in two days she was fine with no scaring. Up to that time I had never even heard about that spider even though I read several books on spiders when I was a boy growing up in the desert of Southern California.

My husband had a round hard pea-like thing under the skin on one buttock. He made the mistake of squeezing it until it broke open. Turns out the pea was his bodies way of capsuling the poison from a spider bite. Once broken open the infection spread and had to be surgically removed and antibiotics were necessary.

As I brick mason, I was moving a few cinder blocks around that had been stacked up for a while, undisturbed. I was bitten by an unidentified spider(they are quick & often not seen). My nervous system “took off” & I felt my heart begin to beat WAY out of sync!! Sat down, got some water, and just tried to relax…. Seems as though I remember the symptoms stayed with me a couple of days….

My six pound poodle was bitten by a spider, probably brown recluse. Nothing we did helped. A tumor began to grow around his neck from the spot where he was bitten, If the two ends joined, it would have choked him to death.
I was under the care of a homeopathic nutritionist for medicinal caused liver damage.
I took the regime I was on and reduced it to what I hoped was enough to help, and not kill him, and applied and gave him concoctions.
After only one week, the tumor both started receding from both directions. It took several weeks, but he healed. Several months later a patch of leather like skin fell off with the bite mark right in the middle. He lived to the ripe old age of 14.
Wish I’d kept the list of what I did. But I will say this: keep your liver healthy and happy.

I dislike spiders greatly, although I played with garden spiders (big, orange, and fuzzy) when I was young. I know a man who lost his foot to a Brown Recluse. The B.Recluse does like to hide, shoes, gloves, clothes…..it’s the Black widow that got me. Or should I say the babies from a fresh hatch. I had approx… 60 bites, itched ,stung, and swelled=made me nauseated and I got a massive headache. You can identify a juvenile B. Widow by the spiral on its sides. It”s body will be white with a brownish golden spiral on each side of the abdomen . Getting quick medical attention is important for poisonous bites , whether it be of your own doing or by a professional = but treat them. On another note, I used a paste of a crushed aspirin on bee stings and take an antihistamine. It relieves the pain and swelling. I also am a firm believer in apple cider vinegar, a shot glass every day with apple cider vinegar, cayenne pepper, lemon juice and honey to taste .
Kai.

I was bitten by a spider several years ago while beekeeping and suffered many months with pain and difficulty walking {bit on leg}. Thanks for all of the helpful info from everyone affected by spider bites.

just last year i was bitten by a spider in my bed. i have tiny spider mites everywhere inmy apartment. the rug is 10 years old and full of mites. my right foot swelled up and my toes turned purple. it was very soar/ no itch, or sting. it poisend my foot. it still dark in color, but healed. i was bittin by a black widow when i was a kid and got very sick. had to have a vaccine for the poisen.

It is all well and good that you hear and see what other people have done when they were bitten by a spider. Their solution to the problem may or may not help you at all.

The very first thing you should do is to “SEE THE DOCTOR” or “GO TO THE HOSPITAL.”It is better that a professional have a look at your injury and evaluate your medical condition. WHY??? If you error in judgment, you can lose your life or at lease become crippled or disfigured.

A spider bite in the right place can paralyze you, cause tissue damage, disfigurement or death. If you try to man up or wait it out, you may regret your decision for the rest of your life. So why take the chance? Seek medical attention – – – It Is Better To Be Safe Than Sorry.

I totally agree if the bite is out of the ordinary. We have small long legged white garden spiders that spin webs in our trees and sunflowers. Their bite is tiny but
non invasive…itches a tiny bit at
first but goes away fairly fast.
HOWEVER, if you have cats or
kittens, watch for a tiny black
common house spider…very small and easily missed. Our 10 week
old kitten found one in her litter
box and was promptly bitten by the spider close to her right eye. Five months later and after close
to a $1000 later trying to save her bulging right eye, the swelling went down and we thought she could still see out of that eye…she couldn’t. Today that eye reflects light when you take a pic of her, but it hasn’t slowed her down much. She still jumps great distances and chases our older
male cat up the stairs and down!

Please BE AWARE of that tiny black house spider and its venomous
bite…dangerous to any of God’s creatures when they are babies.

The venom of the brown recluse contains a histimine complex plus an enzyme that makes the histamine renew itself and keep digesting tissue. I have used nyquil for twenty-five years on 20 diffrent paople. Any antihistimine will work in twenty seconds. If in pill form, crush and make a paste. The ingredient in meat tenderizer that works is papaya extract. The advatage of nyquil or tylenol cold and cough is you topically apply it twice and you can drink it. VICKS bought the formula from an herbalist who sold as a snake bite remedy. It actually helps that too if is a rattlesnake, copperhead or water moccasin. Histimine venom just like the fiddle back.

Regarding Ellen’s comment:
DMSO is Dimethysulfoxide – used as a liniment on horses and not FDA approved for humans, but very usable for sore muscles and the like. It is used industrially to cause dyes and such to be absorbed into fabric and can sometimes be obtained from chemists for animal use. It works the same way causing the skin to absorb anything (chemicals and liquids) placed on it. Be sure to wash your hands well before applying it with fingers, best to use a CLEAN applicator. Some people with arthritis find it works well for that pain but you cannot say it is for human application or it likely will not be sold to you.
Regarding spider bites-no one had yet mentioned iodine. I have gotten double puncture bites that were painful and itchy and the frequent applica- tion of straight iodine on them, as well as on tick bites, both takes care of the itching and neutraliz- es the insect venom. Repeat applications several times a day (and nite if possible) whenever the staining decreases, with the pad of the bandage soaked in iodine. Because it stains, cover with a bandage each time. It combats Brown Recluse bites and tissue necrosis and promotes fresh skin growth. Continue to apply as long as there is any swelling, itching or pain,

In early spring when the fruit trees begin to flower, the
bee hives are brought in for polination. When walking in
the orchard I have been stung a number of times on the back of the hand or the side of the face. There is
never much pain. I take a glucosomine, condroitin,
and methylsulfonylmethane (MSM) dietary supplement tablet every morning which I believe covers inflictions to the body from without and within.

I have successfully used potato and onion on spider and bug bites. Grate either one, (I prefer potato) and leave on bite for 2 hours and then change. Stop when visible signs are gone and pain and itch are usually relieved immediately.

While visiting my son in Colorado, I was bitten by a brown recluse spider. I immediately used apple cider vinegar on a cotton ball applied to the bite. I also put about a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar in my bottle of water and drank it all day long.
The next day I had a huge bruise under my arm where the spider bit me. I kept putting the vinegar on the bite and drinking vinegar in my water. I took a benedryl twice that day. – I flew back to Arizona about two days later and had the doctor look at my spider bite. It was almost completely healed. The vinegar neutralized the venom – both externally and internally. – I also use this remedy when I get stung by scorpions. Works pretty well for me. I usually only get a numb spot which goes away after about two weeks.

Best thing I use is MSM from Rich distributing out in Oregon, I have put it on spider bites hornets stings and I hear it’s even good for snake bite. I love the lotion. I feel it should be in every first aid kit. I highly recommend it, it works and it works fast. I just had a spider bit a couple days ago, I used their MSN, I had a yellow jacket sting me several years ago, I used their MSN lotion both times, my kids get an insect bit I use it. It takes the sting out and reduces the swelling, takes the edema out, that’s real healing.

Several years ago a woman I knew was bit by a brown recluese. It happened at a health food store where she worked in Texas. The distributer for Standard Process Inc. just happened to be in the store and told her to take a high dose of Antronex every 15 minutes for the first hour or so then slowly reduce the dosage. Antronex is a bovine liver extract that stimulates the liver function and creases the body’s ability to process poisons/toxins. The next day she had no wound or injury left from the spider bite. I have not used this for spider bites, but my daughter stumbled into a wasps nest and had several stings. I made a paste of MSM powder (an old remedy for snake bites) and put in on the sting site and wraped it. Then gave her two antronex. The pain went away quickly, and when we removed the bandage in a few hours there was no sign of any wasp stings.

I’ve been stung by Yellowjackets many times. Putting some ammonia on the spot takes the sting away and stops the swelling almost immediately. I’ve also seen tobacco do the same thing, but it doesn’t work as fast as ammonia.

Have been bitten by unidentified spiders a couple of times. Each time I’ve made a baking soda paste (soda with water) on the spot. It stops the burning and neutralized the venom. One time a week went by before I identified the insect bite as a spider place, the rotting spot was about the size of dime in my foot. Baking soda came to the rescue once again.

I have always treated myself, friends & neighbors who had suspicious insect bites with a paste of water and a goldenseal capsule. A bandaid to cover the paste is usually necessary. Change the paste at least once a day, twice is preferable. It’s always worked within a few days, with no scarring.

My young adult daughter and I lived in a basement apartment that was apparently infested with hobo spiders. People around us called them aggressive house spiders because they would come after you if you turned on the iights at night. One morning she woke with a nasty bump on her right buttock. I became very dark within just a day. I roughed up the skin with a scrub pad and

Here is a tip which has been handed down, in my family, for how to treat a Brown Reculse Spider bite. Clean the area of the bite with a good dininfectant and then apply a poultice of Epsom Salt on the bite area. Change this poultice a couple of times each day and the bite shouold clear up in a few days. The poison in this bite will eat away flesh down to the bone and (because there is no money in it) your doctor will never suggest this treatment. You may go to the Doctor BUT do this treatment along with whatever your doctor suggests and you should be ok without alot of tissue loss. Sometimes the old remedies work best. I do not know if this will work for other spider bites.

I’ve had two spider bites this year (July and September), so far; the first, at the base of my thumb, and the second, on the top of my foot. Both could be identified by the twin puncture marks at the site of almost immediate itching, but no pain. Since Black Widows and Brown Recluse spiders are common here in Georgia, my first thoughts were about these possible culprits. But since I had been standing in open areas of paving for these bites and since neither of these species are ranging hunters or wide travelers and since these bites were not followed by excruciating pain (Black Widows) nor by a white circle and enlarging open wound (Brown Recluse), I discounted these species as culprits. My main method of treatment has been to avoid scratching the itching (so as not to introduce secondary infection) and to keep the sites clean, Both sites have disappeared, after some weeks. Hydrocortisone ointment might have relieved the itching sooner, but neither bite was that bothersome. Cheers.

I get your newsletters an read some of your article on spider bites. In the past I have been bitten several times with really painful results. The doctor ID’d it and informed me that the large swelling was just a typical reaction and not an allergic one and to immediately treat with cold while elevating the area of the bite. After the second time, I caught on. Powdered charcoal also is good to use on bites as it “adsorbs” the poisens, the sooner the better.

I FELT A STING ON THE BACK OF MY ARM WHILE SITTING ON MY COUCH. A FEW DAYS LATER THERE WAS A KNOT ON THE SPOT, THE SIZE OF A DIME AND PAINFUL. THE DOCTOR SAID TO COME BACK IF IT GOT WORSE AND HE WOULD LANCE IT.

MY FATHER HAD A SIMILAR ATTACK ON HIS BACK, HE COULD NOT SEE IT BUT WHEN I SAW IT, IT WAS RAISED AND ANGRY, ABOUT 3″ ACROSS. I LANCED IT AND PUSHED OUT A LOT OF NASTY STUFF. IT DRAINED FOR DAYS. WHEN I CHANGED THE BANDAGES I POURED HYDROGEN PEROXIDE IN THE WOUND TO WASH IT OUT.

I LEARNED THAT THE DIGESTIVE JUICES SPIDERS INJECT INTO THEIR PREY TURN THEIR INSIDES INTO SOUP, THEN THEY SUCK OUT THEIR MEAL. SINCE I DID NOT WANT MY BITE TO GET ANY LARGER AS MY FLESH WAS DIGESTED, I LANCED IT MYSELF. TREATING IT AS I HAD DONE FOR MY FATHER, IT SOON HEALED.

AM I AFRAID OF SPIDERS NOW? NOT ANYMORE THAN BEFORE. I DON’T KILL THEM JUST TO BE KILLING THEM AND I DO ALLOW A COUPLE TO LIVE INSIDE MY HOME. THEY EAT FLIES AND MOTHS THAT MAKE THEIR WAY IN AND I HAVE NEVER HAD A PROBLEM WITH ROACHES. THAT IS SAYING SOMETHING BECAUSE I LIVE IN FLORIDA.
I MUST SAY THOUGH I AM NOT NOR EVER WILL BE ON SUCH FRIENDLY TERMS WITH THE BLACK WIDOWS.

I got bitten by a Black widow when I lived in Arizona.It belt like a hot needle in thigh,after a couple of hours I started to feel like I had a really bad case of the flu combined with muscular cramps(Charlie horses) all over my body!I went to the ER where the DR confirmed the cause.It was horrible,to this day I recognize their web,irregular & gauzey/silkey.It is worth the time to learn what they look like,once you see one its easy to recognize &may save you a LOT of Pain.I repay the favor,I spray the web w/ WD-40 & set on fire!

Good information. My late wife was bitten on her calf by a brown recluse spider nearly 35 years ago in our back yard. Took her to doctor right away and he gave her correct treatment for it. Her skin died on the area bitten (size of half dollar coin.). Took about ten months to heal completely.

I personally experienced a horrible “big Toe” bruised looking , black and blue, extremely painful and numbness throughout my foot. Bad enough to go to the Dr. could not identify a reason assumed it was a spider bite. Recently I was bitten by a very small brown spider which is very prevalent in my garden and which I had never feared before. The itching was really intense and large red marks (3 bites before I could slap him dead ) lasted the better part of two weeks as the itching faded accordingly. Much worse a friend once was bitten by what was determined to be the “insignificant brown spider or recluse” left untreated his leg began to swell and turn black as in gangreine and he was hospitalized for a full two weeks with respiratory problems and the treatment of his leg which to this day is somewhat atrophied. As a teenager I was bitten by a ugly Tarantula but had no ill effects whatsoever.

My wife has been bitten four times by brown recluse spiders. The first time it happened, the doctor told her to put meat tenderizer on it.

Later, we found out that a mixture of salt and sugar are the main ingredients of meat tenderizer that combat the spider venom, so if you don’t have any meat tenderizer, mix up about half each of salt and sugar with a couple of drops of water to form a thick paste, gob some on the bite, and stick a band-aid or bandage over it to hold it on. Try to keep the mixture off of the area of skin that the band-aid needs to stick to.

When bitten, always circle the red area with a ball point pen to be able to tell how much and how fast it grows, Seek medical help and don’t put it off or waste time, because the venom is killing your flesh. Also, take some Benadryl or similar antihisamine.

If you get the meat tenderizer on the bite soon enough, it may nutralize the venom and you may not have any bad or lasting problems. That was my wife’s result the last three times she was bitten. She circled the red area, put on a paste of meat tenderizer , took some Benadryl, and by the time she got to the doctor, she was already on the mend. The doctor gave her a shot of antihistamine and antibiotic.

we have seen a number of spider bites in our clinic, mostly hobo spiders in this area although we do have black widows. we have treated them with good wound care and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. The HBO apparently breaks down the detrimental proteins in the toxin because the people we have treated within a day or so of the invenomation have had the wound resolve without the development of necrosis. In bites that have already begun to show necrosis it seems to be a double duty, breaks down the toxin and helps heal the wound. Many in the US medical world will tell you that HBO is bunk however if you look at how it is used in the rest of the world you will discover that Oxygen used as drug to treat many things is pretty fantastic. They say there are no unanswered questions since the internet…..look for yourself.

i was bit by a brown recluse 15 years ago that was a real nightmare a month ago i was bit by a black widow almost lost my right arm if i hadn’t seen the doctor after about a day of not knowing what had bit me. don’t worry about the government it’s those dam spiders that are out to get us.

18 or so years ago, I had a friend who suffered multiple spider bites over a period of several months. They were all bad enough that they required a trip to the ER, & antibiotics, & they all developed ulcerations & left scars. Finally, I was bitten while visiting, & the bite cost me a week or more off work & multiple doctor visits. I have never liked spiders, but since that experience I am ruthless. If they enter my space, I will kill them.

As a former rural mail carrier I have been bit/stung by a variety of insects & bees.
I got bit once on my leg about six inches above my ankle. By the time I got home
I had a red line all the way up to my knee. I put DMSO on it. After about thirty minutes
it had turned pink. I applied a second application of DMSO. The next time I looked
there was no line at all.

I saw a brown recluse bite on a man’s leg recently. It looked as bad if not worse than the one in the article. He had done all the antibiotics they could give him so there was nothing left to do but wait and hope it healed. His leg will never be the same.

Oh yeah, spiders absolutely creep me out. We didn’t have so many black widows here until several years ago I started seeing them. Hope the brown recluse stay away. I live in southern Colorado and have seen more bugs that didn’t used to be here but are here now in recent years.

About 20 years ago my grand daughter was bitten on her cheek by a “brown recluse spider”. The bite of the brown recluse destroys flesh, spreading from the site, if not treated.

She was taken to the ER by her mother right away, but ended up with a nickel sized scar. She is now 26 and every couple years the bite opens again as a weeping wound and she has to be treated or it spreads.

I’ve also had a desert hunting companion bitten on the hand while climbing rocks by a tarantula (even though they are edible). The bite was very superficial, was painful and he said felt like fire for a few hours. However, the wound was kept clean and the wound cleared up completely within a week or two

I’d suggest, if it’s got eight legs and bite someone, try and recover the critter, no matter how small, and give it to medical staff when being treated so it can be properly identified.

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